The management of teaching and learning resources by teacher leaders: a study of a public primary school in Moshi municipality, Tanzania

Date of Award

11-2019

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Master of Education (MEd)

First Supervisor/Advisor

Dr. Mweru Mwingi

Second Supervisor/Advisor

Dr. Abdalla Mohamed

Department

AKU-East Africa

Abstract

This study investigated how teacher leaders source and manage teaching and learning resources in a public primary school. The study explored the challenges encountered and the strategies teacher leaders used to overcome the management of teaching and learning resources in the context of overcrowded classrooms at Ukunonze public primary school in Moshi municipality-Kilimanjaro.

In addressing this purpose, the researcher used a qualitative case study approach to investigate a public primary school. Research participants were the headteacher, academic mistress, seven subject coordinators, and eight subject teachers. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured one on one interviews, focus group discussions and document review. The data collected were analyzed using a thematic approach.

The findings revealed that apart from the government being the main sources of teaching and learning resources at Ukunonze public primary school, teachers, students neighboring schools, ICT and other institutions were also sources of teaching and learning resources. The findings revealed that the school experienced overstretched infrastructure, some textbooks that were brought by the government were of low quality and parts of contents were irrelevant when compared to the new curriculum. In addition, some books from the government were delivered late to school. Due to this, teacher leaders as resource providers find themselves having to improvise instructional materials using old books so as to fit the new curriculum. As far as management of teaching and learning resources are concern, findings show that there is a deliberate effort to improve management through the introduction of a maintenance unit.

This study concludes that without proper management of teaching and learning resources schools will not have enough resources. As teacher leaders in public primary schools should appreciate that public primary schools should not depend on the government alone for such resources. For further study, I suggest a similar study be carried out in Tanzania in a wide range by involving many schools and of different types such as public and private schools from urban and rural areas, hence more findings as a foundation of recommendations to policymakers.

This document is available in the relevant AKU library

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